Improvement in converting the residuum of petroleum into oil



water.

I .UNITED STATES CHARLES C.

PATENT OFrIoE.

MEN GEL, OF BROOKLYN, NEW .YORK, AND ALOIS POHR VON POHRNHOFF, OF ST.CATHARINES, CANADA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CONVERTING THE RESIDUUM 0F PETROLEUM INTO OIL.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 116,852, dated July 11,1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES C. MENGEL, of. the city of Brooklyn, in thecounty of Kings and State of New York, and ALOIS roHR VON PiJ'HRNHOFF, acitizen of the United States,now-

residing at St. Catharines, in the Dominion of Canada, have invented anew Process of Converting the Tar or 1. esiduuin of PetroleumDistillation into Illuminating Oils.

In the ordinary process of distilling petroleum to obtain illuminatingoil there is always a tarry residuum, fiom which no more oil suitablefor illumination can be obtained. Attempts have been made to eflect thedistillation or conversion of illuminating oils from such residuum bythe introduction of steam into the still, but without success. We havefound that by the introduction of water in a liquid state into thestill, and in contact with such residuum, while the latter is heated tothe high temperature of from 600 to 800 Fahrenheit, a very largeproportion ,viz., from eighty-five (S5) to ninety (90) per cent. of thetar or oil may be converted into illuminating oil; and our inventionconsists in effecting such conversion by such introduction of water orliquid containing water.

In carrying out our invention we furnish the still, in its head or upperpart, with acock, above which is a funnel, with a siphon-trap between itand the cock, and keep the funnel supplied with When the tar or residuumin the still has been heated to above 600 we open the cock and allow thewater to drop into the still and fall upon the surface of the tar orresiduum, thereby causing its evaporation and a partial decomposition ofthe water to take place. The vapors thus eliminated pass over from thestill, and are condensed in the usual way and collected in the form ofilluminating oil, which, though sometimes of dark color, is of a lightspecific gravity.

In our experiments we have obtained petroleum residuum ot' a gravity of25 Baumabout eighty-seven per cent. by measureof dark oil, everyparticle of which was consumed in a lamp, and which burned freely to thelast drop.

The quantity of water dropped into the still is regulated by opening thecock more or less, and will depend upon the quality of the residuum tobe conveited and to the temperature of the still.

NVe have generally used during the process a quantity of water aboutequal to from one to three per cent. of the tar or oil.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

lhe conversion of the tarry residuum of petroleum distillation intoilluminating oils by drop ping into it water in aliquid state, orliquids containing water, while it is subjected to a high degree of heatin a still, substantially as herein described.

CHAS. G. MENGEL, ALOIS POHR V. POHRNHOFF.

Witnesses to the signature of CHARLES C. MENGEL:

HENRY T. BROWN, FRED. HAYNES.

WVitnesses to the signature of ALoIs P6111: VON PoI-IRNHOFF:

G. BORLS, BENJ. FLAYLER.

